Hometeam: Flynn’s loyalties fractured, not his legacy

Sunday

Mar 10, 2013 at 6:00 AM

The St. Bernard’s blood is still likely coursing through his veins, but he’s also spent nearly 25 years living in Gardner. However, like any good referee — which he was for the North Central Mass. Officials Board 44 for some 35 seasons — Gerry Flynn remained impartial.

By Mike Richard CORRESPONDENT

The St. Bernard’s blood is still likely coursing through his veins, but he’s also spent nearly 25 years living in Gardner.

However, like any good referee — which he was for the North Central Mass. Officials Board 44 for some 35 seasons — Gerry Flynn remained impartial.

“I’ve got orange on and I’ve got some blue and gold on,” Flynn admitted. “I can’t root. I’ve made many good friends since I moved to Gardner. Obviously my heart’s with St. Bernard’s, but I can’t root against Gardner.”

Flynn, who graduated from St. Bernard’s in 1966 as the school’s all-time leading scorer, has plenty of people rooting for him these days.

For the past two years, Flynn has waged his own private battle with cancer. He has lost some 60 pounds off his once imposing athletic frame and is undergoing some grueling chemotherapy treatments.

“I’m hanging in there, I’m fighting the fight,” he said. “It’s been up and down, and the chemo has been tough.”

As he sat near midcourt at Fitchburg State’s Recreation Center for the Gardner-St. Bernard’s Division 2 final game, it was a wonder Flynn had any opportunity to view the game.

A steady flow of friends and longtime associates stopped by to shake his hand, exchange pleasantries and wish him well.

This winter marks 50 years since the St. Bernard’s hoop legend got his start as a freshman with the 1962-63 basketball team under coach Craig Corliss, who crafted his own legendary career when he played in the mid-50s for Notre Dame of Fitchburg.

During Flynn’s first season, he was the beneficiary of many nice passes from junior Barry Finneron, now the girls’ basketball coach at Holy Name.

“With Barry’s ability, all you had to do was move and he’d get you the ball.”

The old St. Bernard’s gym, nicknamed “the bandbox” because of its low ceilings and cozy confines, forced Flynn to modify his game to fit the dimensions of the court.

“You had to shoot a line-drive ball,” said Flynn, with a smile. “As time went on I had to relearn how to shoot, especially at the next level (in college). I just took a lot of shots.”

During Flynn’s senior season of 1965-66, Corliss left his coaching position and former JV coach Dick Lamothe took over as head coach.

A junior-laden team made up of Dave Beaulac, Ron Bourque, Ron Gabriele and Johnny Monahan joined Flynn, who set a school record with 1,261 career points.

He became the second Fitchburg-area player to reach 1,000 points (Corliss was the other) and his scoring record stood at St. Bernard’s for 33 years until it was broken by Josh Ferreiras in 1999.

During that 1965-66 season, Flynn averaged 23.8 points per game, and won the North Central Mass. scoring title with 430 points. He also won the first annual Kenny Meehan Memorial Award, as the top player in North County.

St. Bernard’s won only one playoff game that season, but that team helped lay the foundation for Bernardian success right around the corner.

The following year, Jimmy Small replaced Flynn at forward as St. Bernard’s advanced to the state semifinals at the Boston Garden before losing to Holy Family. In 1969, St. Bernard’s captured its first District 3 title.

Flynn continued to play, first for Paige Rowden at Leicester Junior College and later for St. Anselm College, which advanced to the New England Regionals in his junior year.

He said he once planned to go into coaching “but I would get too worked up and wound up.” Refereeing seemed the best way to keep his hand in the game.

“It’s still in my blood, that’s why I’m here today,” Flynn said, keeping a keen eye on his Bernardian brethren, who were capturing their second straight Division 2 championship and third in five years.

“They certainly have some offensive power and they can run the court, and they play hard,” Flynn said of the current crop of Bernardian champions.

He returned to the school for several of St. Bernard’s regular season games, including the one in which senior John Crawley joined him in the select group of 1,000-point scorers.

“Welcome to the club. He deserves it, he plays hard,” said Flynn, himself a charter member of the St. Bernard’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

He likely plans to follow the Bernardians to their state semifinal game at the DCU Center on Tuesday night, and looked ahead with hopes of continuing this ride with his team.

“I’m just taking it day by day. I had 11 straight (chemo) sessions, but the doctor gave me a break so I don’t have to do anything for a month,” Flynn said. “But I’m on it for the rest of my life, so I’ll just have to make the best of it.”